About Me

Interventional pulmonology is a relatively new and rapidly growing field. As one of a few fully trained interventional pulmonologists in the world, I feel fortunate to have been part of the development of this field and have published articles on techniques never before performed. I am board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine.

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We at Memorial Sloan Kettering are leaders in developing minimally invasive techniques for common problems. I perform various procedures in the airway and in the pleural space (the space surrounding the lungs in the rib cage). I have taught these procedures in workshops at international and regional meetings. My colleagues and I are working closely with the medical industry to develop and improve medical technologies in this field.

One minimally invasive technique that we frequently use is bronchoscopy, which allows us to visualize the inside of the airways using a camera and access most regions of the lung, without any surgical incisions. I perform both flexible and rigid bronchoscopy to ensure adequate care of the disease process. I specialize in endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (superDimension), laser bronchoscopy, autofluorescence bronchoscopy, narrow-band imaging, airway stenting, and whole-lung lavage for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

I also treat benign and cancerous diseases of the airway, including malignant airway obstruction; tracheal tumors; tracheal stenosis and bronchostenosis (narrowing of the windpipe); and tracheobronchomalacia (excessive collapse of the windpipe with breathing or coughing). Complications of lung surgery, such as surgical stump breakdown or bronchopleural fistula, can be managed via bronchoscopy.

Our interventional pulmonology team, in conjunction with thoracic surgery, heads the Center’s complex airways program. Working together, we treat diseases with bronchoscopy, laser, stenting, or with highly specialized surgical techniques such as tracheal resection and reconstruction, or tracheobronchoplasty. These surgical procedures are performed at only a few highly specialized centers in the world.

Lung volume reduction surgery is proven to help patients with certain types of emphysema. Currently under international study are techniques to achieve the same results using bronchoscopy instead of lung surgery. We hope to include this modality in the near future for our patients with emphysema to provide improved quality of life and the ability to tolerate lung cancer surgeries when patients have limited lung function.

Pleural space diseases are a common problem when cancer has spread to the chest. I specialize in simple and complex diseases of the pleural space. I perform thoracentesis (drainage of fluid surrounding the lung) using ultrasound; place indwelling pleural catheters (PleurX; which allows the patient to go home and manage fluid drainage); chest tubes with pleurodesis (sealing of the pleural space to prevent further fluid accumulation); and medical thoracoscopy (a procedure which allows us to look in the pleural space to drain fluid and remove scar tissue).

Clinical Trials

As home to one of the world’s top cancer research centers, Memorial Sloan Kettering is typically involved in more than 900 clinical trials at a given time. Currently, clinical trials focused on the conditions I treat are enrolling new patients. If you’re interested in joining a clinical trial, click to learn about the trial’s purpose, eligibility criteria, and how to get more information.